Our world was cursed. Blackness shrouded the hearts of all creatures, both human and animal alike. Only one thing could lift the curse. An artifact known as the Rai Dragon; a crystalline jewel that could be commanded by a person of pure heart. Unfortunately, as far as anyone knew, there wasn't a single human left who had a pure heart. The curse had spread its darkness through everyone and everything.

In a far off corner of the land was a house upon the water. There lived a young woman with long dark-blonde hair and eyes the color of sapphire. With her was an old man who walked with a cane and a young lad; his son. The old man was the caretaker of them both. He had found the girl many years ago, lost and somehow miraculously untouched by the curse. Even he and his son suffered bouts of darkness that would send the young woman running to hide until it was over.

One day, the trio saw two ships sailing in the distance. As the ships drew near and could be seen clearly, the old man grew alarmed. One ship was made of white smoke, the other black.

"Why are they made of smoke? How can they hold people?" asked the girl.

The old man said "The ships do not hold people, but creatures of light and darkness. But they are able to teleport humans from wherever the ships were created. Now pack a bag, quickly; you must flee."

When the ships landed, creatures and men sprang out; the old man and his son fought to delay them. But the girl could not abandon her family; she joined the fray.

One man in particular stood out from the rest. He was very tall, with a black beard and hard, brown eyes. He was dressed as a warrior. "Where is the Rai Dragon?!" he demanded. The girl knew not of what he spoke. Neither did the old man or his son.

"You shall not have it! The Rai Dragon can lift this curse!" cried another man, younger with dirty blonde hair and a heavy sword. He was from the ship of white smoke. He too sought the jewel, but unlike the dark man, who wanted to destroy it, he wished to use it to dispel the curse over the lands.

The battle continued. Light clashed against dark, and the old man, his son and the girl were left ignored. They were deemed to be of little threat. The old man and his son managed to find a corner of the boathouse that was free from fighting. The girl followed, but was cut off by the dark man, who again demanded to know where the Rai Dragon was. "I do not have it!" she insisted, but he didn't believe her.

But before he could raise a hand against her, the man from the white ship leaped in front of her, holding up a weird-looking thorny vine. It was tiny. But it moved. The dark man tried to run, but the vine suddenly sprang forward, growing rapidly and twisting around him. It began overtaking the boathouse and all who did not manage to escape. The girl ran to the old man and his son. Together they sat, expecting to die, but the white ship made of smoke appeared, and the blonde man beckoned to them. So they went.

As the ship sailed away, the small family left their home and old life behind. They now knew there was a way to lift the curse. A way to restore light to the bleak world. "We will find the Rai Dragon." the lad said confidently.

"Yes," agreed the girl, smiling first to the man who had rescued them in thanks and then at her family. "And the curse will be lifted."

NOTES

• A dream this vivid and clear is rare for me... usually I must piece together my dreams from fragments
• "The curse will be lifted": my life is changing:
  1. I recently met someone who might possibly come into a relationship with me in the future.
  2. My sister just had a new baby.
  3. My brother is moving away to live up north.
• White smoke: the dreamer's emotions may cloud judgment. Or it can mean agreement or consensus.
• Black smoke: indecision or trouble or something unclear. This could have to do with the guy I met, or the new baby. Maybe both.
• Thorny vine: something prickly that bothers me, is like a "thorn in my side". I think this may be my brother leaving.
• Dragon: various types mean various things. Dragons are considered spiritual in Eastern culture, but may also mean strong will and determination. A fire-breathing dragon may mean using anger to attain desires.
• Rai dragon: I don't know where Rai came from, but perhaps I am angry that my brother is leaving? I am a little. [Or at least wry!--Ed.]
• Battle: a battlefield represents conflict. I believe this has to do with the guy I met. We like each other, but I am hesitant to start anything with him.

EDITOR'S NOTE

I shortened Rikutsu's quotes from dream dictionaries explaining each symbol (for every dreamer, out of context). It's useless, folks! There IS no generic dreamer. You have to figure out what smoke, vines, and dragons mean to YOU. See any of these before the dream? Strong feelings about them?

Rai Dragon: I proposed "wry" only because Rikutsu suggested the dragon might mean anger. But remember the Rai Dragon is the hope of the world! Hard to see how getting mad at your brother for moving could be world-changingly wonderful. So I suspect it's something else. Maybe Rikutsu will meet a Rai musician (it's a type of Mideastern music), or drink too much rye, take a rai turn and... bump into Mr. Righ(t)?

Ignore symbols and step back--look at the dream's view of your life as a whole. A cursed, corrupt world; the father figure's intermittently abusive. But suddenly, real hope. May or may not be this new guy, but some opportunity for real change looks newly possible. The dream's encouraging... even enthusiastic.

ACTION: keep your mind open & alert, ready to recognize the Rai Dragon in any form it takes. And to use it you must be good-hearted. Alert, open, and kind? Not a trivial discipline! But then, "The curse will be lifted" is not a trivial promise.

--Wayan

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